BASS
SOME “ HAND ” -Y HEALTH TIPS FOR THE BASS PLAYER | Adam Nitti
Greetings , everyone ! I thought for this installment I would depart a little from the academics and focus a little on our health as bass players , specifically as it relates to the health of our hands and other parts of the body used to play bass . I don ’ t often hear players talk about these things , but I believe they should be at the forefront of our minds as we develop our craft . If we want to enjoy the bass-playing experience for many years to come , it makes sense that we should make our health a priority , both on and off the bass guitar .
Disclaimer : Now obviously I ’ m not a doctor or professional therapist , but I have tried to seek out good counsel from various health professionals over the years as I have experienced various playing-induced setbacks and ailments . Fortunately for me , none of these injuries were super serious , but each experience did teach me something about prevention and inspired me to be more proactive about my bassplaying health . Through my past interactions with orthopedic specialists , chiropractors , and massage therapists , I have established some very basic guidelines to help avoid injury that I would love to share with you in hopes that they would make your bass playing even more enjoyable and sustainable .
ELIMINATING TENSION When it comes to playing bass , one of the most compromising elements that robs us of dexterity and endurance is tension . Tension has the effect of tightening our movement and constricting our facility . Most of us have experienced tension before when we try to play or practice something over and over again , to the point of experiencing considerable fatigue . Once fatigue starts to kick in , it initiates an irreversible regression of technical headroom that requires more and more tension to try and overcome . It ’ s virtually impossible to rectify in real-time while playing . The only way to truly “ reset ” is to stop playing , rest , and then start again .
Experiencing tension when we practice something challenging is completely normal and part of the growth process , but there are things you can do to help eliminate it before it starts . For most stringed instrument players , tension originates in the shoulders and then works its way down your arms and ultimately to your hands . Because of this , one of the most effective things you can do is practice eliminating tension from your shoulders .
Try this exercise : Let your bass hang naturally from its strap on your shoulder , and let your arms fall to your side . ( If you prefer to sit while playing , move your support leg out of the way to allow the bass to hang without any assistance .) Now intentionally focus on your shoulders and allow them to completely relax . Feel the full weight of your arms and hands as you relax completely . Now , while keeping your shoulders relaxed , bring both hands to the bass guitar into what I refer to as “ ready position ” without tensing up your shoulders at all . Don ’ t play a single note , but instead just allow your hands to take poise on the instrument as if you were about to start playing a line . Rest in that for a moment . Then , let your hands fall to your side again and relax the shoulders completely . Did your shoulders have to lower at all in order to return to a relaxed state ? If so , then you most likely added tension in your shoulders when you lifted your arms . This simple practice of monitoring the amount of height and tension you are carrying in your shoulders will net huge benefits for your awareness of what your body is doing and how it affects your hands .
After you have done this a few times successfully without introducing any shoulder tension , then add some playing in between . In other words , when you bring your hands back to the bass , play for a minute or two and then stop and let your arms fall to your side again , all the while monitoring the level of tension in your shoulders as you transition . It probably won ’ t happen immediately , but before long you will retrain your mind and body to regulate a more relaxed state in the shoulders while you play . Once this happens , you will notice that your endurance will improve significantly as a result of eliminating this tension .
AVOIDING SHARP WRIST ANGLES When we play a stringed instrument , we dynamically regulate our hand positions based on what part of the fingerboard we are playing on . From a purely general observation , most bassists utilize fretting and plucking hand positions that closely resemble that of a classical guitarist . In the case of the fretting hand , we generally keep our fingers perpendicular to the strings like a classical guitarist would . What this does is force a sharper wrist angle the closer that hand gets to the headstock while playing . See FIGURE 1 below .
FIGURE 1
Notice how the wrist has to “ point ” forward in order to accommodate the stretch and “ width ” of the hand position across multiple frets . Not only does a sharp angle like this cause tension , but it can also be utterly painful and eventually cause injury if held in that tense state for a long time . I learned that lesson the hard way ! Let me offer a couple of solutions for avoiding this .
One very simple thing you can do to help manage sharp angles like this is to change the height and / or position of the bass guitar . In most cases , the lower your bass hangs , the more
106 April 2024 Subscribe for Free ...